Power-raft and method of making the same.



I. A. BAYLEY.

POWER RAFT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAYT. 910.

1,292,680.. Patented Jan. 28,1919.

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I. A. BAYLEY.

POWER RAFT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7 1918.

1,292,680. Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- guwwow g 5 2 im Q/QZ% (i 4 E $1 ,4; firm-W IVAN ARKLEY BA'YLEY, OF NORTH SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO D. G. IBELLAMORE, OF NEW YORK, Y.

POWER-RAFT AND METHOD OF MAKING THE Application filed May 7, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVAN ARKLEY BAYLEY, a citizen of Canada, and resident of North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Rafts and Methods of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to a raft for the transport of logs or lumber or other similar material. The present invention relates more particularly to improved means and method of construction of a raft of this character from the material to be transported and building into the stern of the raft a power plant adapted to operate a propeller in conjunction with a rudder for steering the vessel or raft thus equipped.

The present method of construction and the means employed for binding the logs or other material of the raft together are an improvement upon the raft described in my United States Patent No. 1,230,838, of June 26, 1917, for freight transport.

In transporting logs, timber, lumber and freight of this character, the custom heretofore has been to pile the logs compactly together and bind them together by means of chains and thus transport the material. This method of transportation is not entirely suitable for transporting freight of this character over the ocean, because of the expense for the chains and the insecurity of the raft in. heavy storms. To build a raft of logs or the like of sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand an ocean trip, and to do it at a minimum of expense, is the object of my improved construction. Furthermore, it is believed that heretofore no attempt has been made totransport rafts of this character except by towing them and, therefore, a further object of my improvement is to provide the raft with a power plant, whereby it may be self-propelling and independent of outside help from a tug or the like for the transport of the material of the raft through the water on long ocean trips.

In my preferred construction, the raft may be built of any desired size, say from 500 to 700 feet long and or 70 feet wide and a depth of 40 feet or more. The raft from which the drawings are made is approximately 500 feet long, 60 feet wide and 40 feet deep. It is found that in rafts of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Serial No. 233,075.

a this character, about one-fifth of the depth of the raft will be above water and hence the entire raft can be transported and propelled somewhat like a vessel of similar size and remain extremely stable in all kinds of weather.

The raft may be partially built on the shore and launched in sections and completed after the entire length of the raft has been floated. Or, they may be built on ice and floated when the ice melts, or it may be built directly in the water, the general method of constructing the raft being substantially the same in all cases. In the first place, tying or binding rods of soft steel or other suitable material are preferably prepared with loops or rings at every five feet of the length of the rod and these rods are laid down in a horizontal plane at right angles to each other, a series of rods extending transversely of the raft and another series longitudinally, the rods of each series being spaced apart a distance of five feet, the loops or rings of the rods being brought together at the crossing points of the two series of rods. The transverse and longitudinal rods are then preferably connected together by passing another rod through the loops at the junctions or points of intersection of the horizontal rods, the last named rods extending vertically. Preferably a layer of heavy logs is then laid down on the horizontal rods, the logs extend,- ing lengthwise longitudinally of the raft between the vertical rods. Preferably these logs are secured .to the tying rods by staples or other suitable means and connected by drift bolts if desired, so as to form a more or less rigid floor or bottom for the raft. Other logs are then piled in between the vertical rods, filling up the space compactly to a depth of five feet, for example.

When the layer of five feetdeep covering the entire deck or surface of the raft is completed, another layer of binding rods forming two-horizontal series is laid down and the operation is repeated substantially as described until the raft has been built the proper thickness or depth which, as previously stated, may be 40 feet or more.

In completing the raft in this manner, I preferably use heavier and longer logs for the bottom and sides of the raft, and at predetermined intervals longitudinally of the raft, I build up of heavier logs what may be termed vertical ribs or strong backs, the logs in preventing torsional strains from breaking up the raft. In addition to the sway braces extending in vertical planes longitudinally of the raft, I also employ at suitable intervals, horizontal sway braces com prising lacing rods extending diagonally across the deck of the raft at say one-fourth, one-half and three-quarters of the depth of the raft, as well as at the bottom and at th top or upper deck.

In my preferred raft I provide a power plant adapted to be contained in a water tight compartment which is preferablybur- 'ied at the stern of the raft in the logs form ing the raft. Preferably the logs adjacent the watertight compartment of the power plant are squared and bolted together so as to form a secure inclosure for supporting and holding the compartment in proper position relative to the raft. This power plant compartment is preferably provided with a plurality of manhole tubes or funnels extending upward from the compartment to and above the deck and provided with ports and doors or scuttles through which entrance and exit from the compartment may be made. Ventilating funnels are also provided for supplying a circulation of fresh air through the water-tight compartment of the power plant. It will be understood that since only about one-fifth of the raft is above the water line, the power plant compartment will be entirely submerged and, therefore, should be comparatively safe so long as the compartment remains water-tight. The navigation of the vessel or raft may be conducted from a conning tower connected with the compartment or forming part of the manhole tubes or otherwise arranged for communication with the interior of the power plant compartment. If found necessary, the power plant compartment may be provided with internal braces or supports to prevent crushing of the compartment by excessive weight or pressure from the out side. I

Preferably, the propeller shaft extends through the wall of the water-tight compartment and is supported thereby, but obviously, this construction may be modified .in any suitable manner. so long as the propeller is mounted in the proper position at the stern of the vessel or raft, and obviously, more than one propeller may be employed .if

desired. A rudder is preferably mounted adjacent the propeller and suitable means within the water-tight compartment is provided for moving the rudder or steering the raft.

It is further contemplated, that when desired, the outer surface of the raft including the bottom and deck, may be covered with suitable planking so as to reduce the resistance to transporting or forcing the raft through the water. This is particularly desirable when the raft is made self-propelling. This planking not only gives a smooth surface to the exterior of the raft, but is itself a part of the raft, and the planks form a part of the freight or material being transported, because they are readily salable in connection with the logs or lumber of the entire raft.

I have shown one form or adaptation of my improved power raft and the method'of constructing the same in the accompanying drawings of which- Figure 1 represents a broken away side elevation of'the raft partially in section to show the power plant in the stern thereof;

Fig. 2 represents a plan view of broken away parts of the raft shown partially in section to indicate the various horizontal planes of sway braces;

Fig. 3 represents a vertical cross-section of the raft in front of the power plant,

Fig. 4 represents a cross-section through the water-tight compartment containing the power plant.

Fig. 5 is a broken away portion of the front end or how of the raft indicating how the sides are covered with planking; and

Figs. 6 and 7 represent details of the joints between the intersecting binding rods.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a plurality of series of transversely arranged binding rods in horizontal planes, each series extending from how to stern of the raft preferably about five feet apart. The transverse rods A, it will beseen from the drawing, also extend in vertical series preferably five feet apart from horizontal plane to horizontal plane, from bottom to top of the raft. It will thus be seen that the plurality of series of transverse binding rods A are located at the intersections of a plurality of horizontal planes five feet apart and a plurality of vertical-transverse planes five feet apart.

Intersecting these transverse rods A is a plurality of series of longitudinally extending rods B, each series being in a horizontal plane substantially coincident with the horizontal planes of the transverse rods. The longitudinally extending rods B are also located in vertical longitudinal planes five feet apart transversely of the raft. At the points of intersection of the transversely and longitudinally extending rods A and B they are united to each other and to vertically extending binding rods C. The Vertically ex tending binding rods G thus form a plurality of series of rods at the intersection of vertical-longitudinal and vertical-transverse planes five feet apart, the vertical-transverse planes being coincident with the verticaltransverse planes in which the transverse rods are located and the vertical-longitudinal planes being coincident with the planes in which the longitudinal rods are located. In this manner, it will be seen that the intersecting vertical, longitudinal and trans verse rods divide the entire inclosed space of the raft into cubical spaces of five feet on each edge.

In addition to the binding rods A, B and C I preferably provide a plurality of lacing rods or sway braces, these being located in intersecting planes both horizontally and vertically. The horizontally arranged sway brace rods D are preferably located in horizontal planes and extend diagonally transversely of the raft at an angle of about 45 degrees to the transverse rods A. Obviously, as many layers of these horizontal sway braces may be utilized in the building of the raft as may be desired, but preferably they are located in alternate horizontal planes, say ten feet apart, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings by the heavy transverse lines D. Another series of sway braces E is preferably located in each of a plurality of vertical-longitudinal planes, the planes being spaced apart transversely of the raft at any desired distance. Preferably, as indicated in the drawings, these vertical longitudinal sway braces E are located on the two sides of the raft and at three equally spaced positions within the raft as indicated by the heavy Vertical lines E in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The raft is preferably built with larger and heavier logs 1 forming the bottom and outside of the raft, the interior cubical five foot spaces between the binding rods A, B and C, being built up and solidly filled with logs, timber, lumber, or other material 2, from which the raft is to be constructed. The logs are piled so that their length extends longitudinally of the raft and preferably the joints between adjacent logs or members forming the raft are broken so that the raft will be of uniform strength and rigidity from top to bottom and throughout its length. As will be seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings, I preferably build a plurality of strong backs in vertical planes longitudinally of the raft, these being constructed out of heavier and longer logs, as indicated at 2 in Fig. 3 of the drawings. It will be noted that the positions of these strong backs substantially coincide with the vertical planes E of the interior series of vertical-longitudinal sway braces. The logs 2' forming the strong backs are preferably bolted together and stapled to the adjacent binding rods so as to produce a very rigid construction adapted to withstand the severe treatment the raft is likely to receive in rough seas during transport of the material.

hen desired, and preferably, the bottom and sides of the raft are covered with heavy planking 3 (see Fig. 5) extending longitudinally of the raft and secured to uprights 4: secured to the sides of the raft by bolts or other suitable means, the arrangement being substantially as indicated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The bottom of the raft may be similarly covered by planking, but this would preferably be laid down first and the bottom layer of transverse, longitudinal and sway braces A, B and, D, respectively, laid down thereon and securely stapled to the planking. When this is done, the logs are piled over the binding rods and if, as indicated, the heavier logs are laid down for the bottom of the raft, these are preferably bolted together and stapled to the binding rods so as to give added strength and rigidity to the construction.

The binding rods A and B are preferably supplied in standard lengths of say twenty feet and provided with loops or eyes 5 at every five feet of the length. (See Figs. 6 and 7.) These eyes are brought together at the intersection of the transverse and longitudinal binding rods A and B of the several series, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, and a vertical rod C is passed through the loops or eyes 5 and secured thereto. After the logs have been piled to the depth of five feet between the vertical rods C over the entire deck of the raft, another layer of transverse and longitudinally extending rods is laid down so that the intersecting eyes 5 thereof will come together in position for the vertical rods C to be passed therethrough. The vertical rods C are preferably supplied in lengths of slightly more than five feet so that the upper end may be passed through the loops 5 and formed into a loop 6' through an eye (3 in the lower end of another five-foot length, as indicated in Fig. 7, thus continuing the vertical rod for another five feet or more. The completed joint between the intersecting rods A, B and C is more particularly shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

When the logs have been filled into the depth of ten feet, another layer of transverse and longitudinally extending rods A and B is laid down, and in addition, the first interior layer of horizontal-longitudinal sway braces D is laid down and connected diagonally from side to side of the raft and firmly secured to the other brace rods by tying, welding, or other suitable means. The logs are then filled in to the depth of five feet and the binding together is repeated by laying down additional transverse and longitudinal rods and tying them to the vertically extending rods. This operation is repeated for the next depth of ten feet and then another layer of horizontally extending sway braces is inserted, as inclicated in Figs. 2 and 31 of the drawings. Logs are again piled into the spaces between the vertical rods and the operation con tinued in the same manner until the raft is built to the proper depth or height. In the raft indicated in the drawings this depth or height is 40 feet. When the proper depth has been reached, the top or upper deck of the raft may be covered with heavier and longer logs as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and the transverse binding rods laid down and connected with the ends of the vertical rods in any suitable manner, butpreferably where they come'out on the top deck the upper ends of the vertical rods (1 may be threaded so as to be able to draw the rods tightly and the transverse rods A are preferably provided with turnbuckles C for adjustably binding the several elements of the raft together. This nut and turnbuckle construction for the top deck binding rods is desirable in that it provides means for adjusting the tension on the binding rods after the raft is completed. If the logs swell in the water, the nuts and turnbuckles may be loosened before the tension is suflicient to break or disrupt the binding rods. On the other hand, if some of the sections are looser than others, they can be suitably compacted by tightening the nuts and turnbuckles on the binding rods. Similar turnbuckles may be inserted in the sway braces so that these may be kept tight un der all conditions.

When desired, the upper deck may be made higher in the center to form a whaleback and the entire surface may be covered with planking so that the raft will more readily shed water and offer less resistance to waves passing over it in stormy weather. In my improved power raft I provide a power element for driving a propeller which is adapted to be built into or buried in the material of the raft at the stern thereof. For this purpose I preferably provide a water-tight compartment 7 of suitable dimensions to provide space for fuel tanks, water tanks, sleeping quarters, engine room and navigating quarters. The power plant is preferably installed in the engine room 8 and comprises any suitable engine, but preferably an internal combustion engine 9, using oil or'gasolene. The engine is geared or connected in any suitable manner to a propeller shaft 10 extending through the rear wall 11 of the water-tight compartment, the end of the shaft being provided with a suitable screw propeller 12 of sufficient size and capacity to drive the raft at a reasonable speed through the avater. As will be seen from Fig. 1 of the drawings, a rudder 13 is mounted directly back of the propeller and pivoted in extensions of the power plant coinpartn'ient. The rudder may be connected with a wheel in the usual manner, but for the purposes of illustration, it is sufiicient to show a lever arm 1% extending into the interior of the compartment and adapted to be used for turning the rudder for steering the raft. The compartment is provided with two or more manhole funnels, one of which 15 is indicated as provided with a stairway leading to the upper deck of the raft, and the other funnel is may be utilized as a conning tower for navigating the raft. Funnels 17 and 18 are provided for producing a circulation of air through the water-tight compartment 7, the capacity of the funnels being sufficient to insure good ventilation. Obviously, other arrangements and accommodations for the comfort of the men and for the proper navigation of the vessel may be provided and installed in connection with the water-tight compartment. As wvill be seen in Figs. 1 and l of the drawings, the compartment 7 is preferably surrounded by transversely extending squared logs 19 extending transversely of the raft and preferably firmly bolted together so as to protect the compartment from unnecessary strains. Preferably, also the side walls of thecompartme-nt are protected by squared logs 20 extending in a vertical plane as indicated in Figs. 1 and 7 of the drawings. The trans verse logs 19 are preferably secured to and supported by the side logs 20 by bolts or other suitable means. In this way the com partment 7 may be fully protected and at the same time firmly secured against displacement Within the interior of the logs or other material forming the raft. The vertically disposed logs 20 may be formed as an extension of the strong backs 2, which as previously explained, extend in vertical planes longitudinally of the raft. Or, as in dicated in the drawings, the squared logs forming the protecting side walls for the water-tight compartment may be out of line with the strong backs but secured to the adjacent logs by drift bolts and to the binding rods A, B and C by staples so as to firmly bind the compartment in its buried position in the stern'of the raft. As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of thedrawings, the logs or material of the raft are piled solidly all about the water-tight compartment and se cured in place by the binding rods A, B and C, substantially as the logs are secured in the remaining part of the raft. Obviously, if

desired, binding rods or cleats may be secured to the water-tight compartment,which is preferably built of steel plates or the like, and thus more firmly unite the compartment with the body of the raft. The manhole funnels 15 and 16 preferably extend upward through the material of the raft to a suitable height above the deck of the raft, giving ready entrance and exit therethrough and to serve as conning towers if desired.

The power plant within the compartment may include a dynamo for supplying electric lights for lighting the interior of the compartment and for supplying deck lights and the usual navigation lights where required. Preferably however, I provide deck lights of the usual acetylene tank variety, the lights being mounted on masts which may be logs firmly secured in the timbers of the upper deck and projecting above the deck a sufficient distance to insure safety of navigation.

It will be obvious that other water-tight compartments may be buried within the material of the raft at suitable points and adapted for transporting other freight when so desired. My improved power raft is particularly adapted for transporting logs, timher or lumber to points across the sea, and the construction is such, that all of the material transported, including the binding rods, may be considered as freight or salable material. Thus, when the raft reaches its port of destination, the raft can be broken up and the lumber or planks forming the sides and bottom, as well as the timbers or logs formin the main body of the raft are readily salable. The binding rods being good soft steel, are readily'salable at very little loss over the original cost thereof. The water-tight power plant compartment may be loaded on to a freighter and returned to its original port, or, since it is a complete power plant suitable for installation into other vessels, it may be sold at a slight reduction of its originalcost and thus the entire raft may be considered as salable freight or merchandise.

It is believed that from the foregoing description, the method of constructing my imroved power raft and the construction of the raft itself will be readily understood. I do not wish to be limited, however, to the specific details of construction, for obviously, the binding rods may be arranged and united in various ways and yet accomplish the purpose set forth. Furthermore, the power plant may comprise any suitable power element mounted in any suitable manner and adapted to propel the raft. The rudder cooperating with the propeller may be mounted for operation either from within or without the compartment, as may be desired, and various modifications in the arrangement and method of burying the compartment within the material of the raft may be followed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a transport raft of the character described, a power elementfor driving a propeller mounted in a water-tight submersible compartment adapted to be supported at the stern of the raft surrounded and retained in place by the material being transported.

2. In a transport raft of the character described, a water-tight compartment adapted to be located below the water line containing a power element for driving a propeller, said compartment being mounted at the stern of the raft and substantially surrounded by the material being transported, the material being so disposed as to firmly retain the compartment in place, and a rudder for steering the raft.

3. In a transport raft of the character described, a propeller therefor, a power element for driving said propeller, a watertight compartment adapted to be located be low the water line in which said power element is mounted, the material being transported being closely piled about said compartment for retaining it in place, and interconnected vertical, longitudinal and transverse binding rods extending through and about said material so as to form and bind the material into a raft having substantially a rigid unitary structure.

4:. In a transport raft adapted to be formed of the material to be transported, a plurality of interconnected vertical, longitudinal and transverse rods for binding the material of the raft together, said rods being arranged at regularly spaced intervals in vertical longitudinal, horizontallongitudinal and vertical-transverse planes throughout the raft and a water-tight compartment containing a propeller power plant adapted to be located below the water line at the stern of the raft and supported and substantially inclosed by the material forming the raft.

5. In a transport raft adapted to be formed of the material to be transported, a plurality of interconnected vertical, longitudinal and transverse rods for binding the material of the raft together, said rods being arranged at regularly spaced intervals in vertical-longitudinal, horizontal-longitudinal and vertical-transverse planes throughout the raft, a propeller for driving the raft, a power plant for said propeller and a water tight compartment inclosing the power plant adapted to be located below the water line and supported within and substantially inclosed by the material forming the raft.

6. In a raft of logs or the like, means for binding the logs together to form a transportable unit comprising transverse rods at the lines of intersection of a plurality of horizontal planes and a plurality of transverse-vertical planes, a plurality of longitudinally extending rods at the lines of intersection of said horizontal planes with a plurality of vertical-longitudinal planes, the

spaces defined by said intersecting planes being substantially cubical, vertical rods at tudinal. planes spaced apart transversely ofthe raft at regular intervals.

7. In. a raft of logs or the like, means for binding the logs together to form a transportable unit, comprising transverse rods at the lines of intersection of a plurality of horizontal planes and a plurality of transverse-vertical planes, a plurality of longidinally extending rods at the lines of intersection of said horizontal planes with a plurality of vertical-longitudinal planes, the spaces defined by said intersecting planes being substantially cubical, vertical rods at the lines of intersection between said verticaltransverse and vertical-longitudinal planes, all of said rods being firmly secured together at their points of intersection at the corners of said cubical spaces sway braces comprising a plurality of diagonal lacing rods in a plurality of vertical-longitudinal planes spaced apart transversely of the raft at regular intervals, and a plurality of diagonal lacing rods in a plurality of horizontal planes spaced apart at regular intervals from top to bottom of the raft.

8. In a raft of logs or the like, means for binding the logs together to form a transportable unit, comprising transverse rods at the lines of intersection of a plurality of horizontal planes and a plurality of transverse-vertical planes, a plurality of longitudinally extending rods at the lines of intersection of said horizontal planes with a plurality of vertical-longitudinal planes, the spaces defined by said intersecting planes being substantially cubical, vertical rods at the lines of intersection between said vertical transverse and vertical longitudinal 7 planes, all of said rods being firmly secured together at their points of intersection at the corners of said cubical spaces, sway braces comprising a plurality of diagonal lacing rods in a plurality of vertical-longitudinal planes spaced apart transversely of the raft at regular intervals and a propeller adapted to be driven by a power plant located in a water-tight compartment adapted to be mounted wholly below the water line at the stern of the raft within and surrounded by the logs of said raft.

9. In a raft of logs or the like, means for binding the logs together to form a transportable unit, comprising transverse rods at the lines of intersection of a pluralityof horizontal planes and a plurality of transverse-vertical planes, a plurality of longitudinally extending rods at the lines of intersection of said horizontal planes with a plurality of vertical-longitudinal planes, the spaces defined by said intersecting planes being substantially cubical, vertical rods at the lines of intersection between said vertical-transverse and vertical-longitudinal planes, all of said rods being firmly secured together at their points of intersection at the corners of said cubical spaces, sway braces comprising a plurality of diagonal lacing rods in a plurality of vertical-longitudinal planes spaced apart transversely of the raft at regular intervals, a plurality of diagonal lacing rods in a plurality of horizontal planes spaced apart at regular intervals from top to bottom of the raft and a propeller adapted to be driven by a power plant located in a water-tight compartment partment through the material of the raft for ventilation of and for entrance into or exit from said compartment. i

11. The method of forming a transport raft of logs or the like which comprises laying down in a horizontal plane a plurality of rods equally spaced transversely and longitudinally of the raft, said rods being provided with loops or eyes at the points of intersection uniting these at their crossing points with vertical rods, having lengths ap proximately equal to the distance said horizontal rods are spaced apart, the vertical rods being passed through the eyes of the other rods, then laying down logs longitudinally between said vertical rods and securing them to said horizontal rods, then filling in all the spaces between said vertical rods with logs to a depth equivalent to the spacing between the rods, then laying down another horizontal series of equally spaced trans verse and longitudinal rods, uniting themthem tightly together to firmly secure the logs into a compact raft.

12. The method of forming a transport raft of logs or the like which comprises laying down in a horizontal plane a plurality of rocs equally spaced transversely and longitudinally of the raft, said rods being provided with loops or eyes at the points of in-' them at their points of intersection with said vertical rods by passing the latter through said loops or eyes and connecting thereto a second series of similar vertical rods, then filling in the spaces between said second vertical rods with logs to a depth equal to the distance between the rods, then repeating until the raft is of the required depth, then similarly uniting the upper ends of the last lengths of the vertical rods with transverse rods across the top or deck and drawing them tightly together to firmly secure the logs into a compact raft, then securing to the outside of said raft a covering of planking for reducing the resistance to its movement through the water.

13. The method of forming a self-propelling transport raft of logs or the like which comprises piling the logs compactly with their lengths longitudinally of the raft, securing them together by a plurality of rods meeting at right angles in equally spaced series in horizontal, vertical-longitudinal and vertical-transverse planes, simultaneously bracing said raft by securing to the logs and to the respective series of rods as the building of the craft progresses a plurality of diagonal lacing rods in a plurality of vertical longitudinal planes and in a plurality of horizontal-longitudinal planes and burying in the logs and thereby securing therein at the stern of the raft during the building thereof a water-tight compartment containing a power element for driving a propeller whereby said compartment is held securely in place and the logs are secured against displacement relative to said compartment.

14. The method of forming a self-propelling transport raft of logs or the like which comprises piling the logs compactly with their lengths longitudinally of the raft, securing them together by a plurality of rods meeting at right angles in equally spaced series in horizontal, vertical-longitudinal and vertical-transverse planes, the outside logs and a plurality of rows of logs in vertical-longitudinal. planes spaced apart transversely of the raft being selected of heavier and longer logs to form strong backs for said raft, said strong back logs being secured together and to said rods adjacent thereto, simultaneously bracing said raft by securing to the logs and to the respective series of rods while building the same into the raft, a plurality of diagonal lacing rods in a plurality of horizontal planes and a plurality of vertical longitudinal planes and burying in the logs and thereby securing therein at the stern of the raft during the building thereof a water-tight compartment containing a power element for driving a propeller whereby said compartment is held securely in place and the logs are secured against displacement relative to said compartment.

15. A raft of the character described comprising logs or the like bound together by a plurality of rods extending in a plurality of equally spaced series in horizontal-longitudinal, vertical-longitudinal and verticaltransverse planes, said rods being provided with loops or eyes at the points of intersec tion and united by passing one of the intersecting rods through the loops or eyes of the other rods at each intersecting point, thereby binding the logs and rods together to form a unitary structure.

16. The method of forming a transport of logs or the like which comprises piling the logs compactly with their lengths longitudinally of the raft, securing them together by a plurality of rods meeting at right angles in equally spaced series in horizontal, verticallongitudinal and vertical-transverse planes, the outside logs and a plurality of rows of logs in vertical-longitudinal planes spaced apart transversely of the raft being selected of heavier and longer logs to form strong bucks for said raft, said strong back logs being secured together and to said rods adjacent thereto, simultaneously bracing said raft by securing to the logs and to the respective series of rods while building the same into the raft, a plurality of diagonal lacing rods in a plurality of horizontal planes and a plurality of vertical longitudinal planes, then securing the ends of and tightening the respective rods to firmly secure the logs into a compact raft.

IVAN ARKLEY BAYLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

